Earlier this month, the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) put out its long-awaited Draft Environmental Impact Review (EIR) for plans to retrofit the Scattergood Generating Station – one of four gas plants in Los Angeles that was originally going to be decommissioned – to burn a mix of methane and hydrogen. 

At yesterday’s LADWP Scattergood Draft EIR meeting, environmental advocates and impacted community members called on LADWP to reject the Draft EIR, as it does not take into account the full environmental and health impacts of retrofitting the facility. The facility is expected to burn a blend of 70% methane gas and 30% hydrogen. 

Andrea Vega, Southern California Senior Organizer for Food & Water Watch released the following statement:  

“This dangerous and costly hydrogen project is in no way aligned with community demands for real community-driven solutions to our climate crisis or environmental justice principles. Retrofitting our gas plants to burn hydrogen would keep Los Angeles dependent on fossil fuels. The Scattergood Modernization Project would further burden ratepayers, negatively impact our air quality, and push Los Angeles further away from our climate goals. We’re out of time for incremental change and modest emission reductions. We have to do everything we can to stop the climate crisis, but an “all of the above” strategy won’t work. The focus on hydrogen has already distracted from more important initiatives like utility debt relief and grid electrification, which can save people money and cut local pollution. If LADWP is truly committed to meeting LA’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2035, then they need to reject the Scattergood Draft EIR and instead pursue a grid-scale battery storage system.”